Strasbourg, 05/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - “A coherent EU is a strong actor” as can be seen by its action in Lebanon, where the “determined action of the EU has increased confidence in the EU as a peace broker in the region”, the president of the Finnish Republic, Tarja Halonen, said on 5 September when speaking before the European Parliament plenary. The decision taken during the extraordinary meeting on 25 August to reinforce UNIFIL was a “turning point”, she said. During her joint press conference with President Borrell, Ms Halonen added: “I am optimistic by nature, but realistic from experience. I don't see any possibility that the future would be better if we don't do anything”. A sustainable peace in the Middle East implies a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and the EU must take the initiative in the Middle East as “we are neighbours”, Ms Halonen warned, stressing that it is also necessary to have the confidence of the civil society. She felt that “if women are actively involved in the peace process, there is a better chance for a sustainable solution”. “We will promote this issue during the coming UN General Assembly week”, Ms Halonen announced. She has already worked with the UN Development Fund for women (UNIFEM) which supports dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
On the subject of enlargement, Ms Halonen stressed that the EU must remain open to all countries that meet the accession criteria and that it must have the capacity to take in new Member States. She went on to warn: “We share the common values, but we are not seeking to create a uniform culture. On the contrary, the plurality of cultures is Europe's richness and strength”. When asked by the press about Turkey (see related article), Ms Halonen stressed: “Turkey has long been a member of the Council of Europe, NATO and the OSCE. We know Turkey and they know us (…). Their road to reform has been rocky” but “I believe that, in Turkey, there will be wise people who will not want to throw away the work already done”. Obviously alluding to Cyprus, she said: “Turkey must know that the EU is a whole family and, when you marry the bride, you take on the whole family”. “I know Olli Rehn very well. He is very tough but also very just”, she said, speaking to the press on the subject of the Enlargement Commissioner.
In her speech, Ms Halonen spoke of the progress made by the EU in conflict management and prevention, citing the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur. She recalled that, when she was foreign minister, she had launched an initiative with her Swedish colleague, Lena Hjelm-Wallén, to develop the EU's crisis management capacity. “We did not dare to expect quick progress. But … our proposal led to a provision entered in the Treaty of Amsterdam”, she said. In a speech with emphasis on multilateralism and sustainable development, the president spoke of the importance of EU political development (which “can be seen as part of its security policy”) and recalled the link between development and trade (which “is not always automatically a positive one”). She pointed out that a joint session of development and trade ministers will be held in October “with the aim of agreeing on a strong EU commitment to the Aid for Trade recommendations of the WTO and their rapid implementation”. Ms Halonen also highlighted the EU human rights policy and noted that the United Nations and the Council of Europe are important partners on this. The recent report by Jean-Claude Juncker speaks of “excellent proposals” for closer cooperation with the Council of Europe, she said, anticipating that their “implementation will require a huge amount of work”.
On the subject of Russia, Ms Halonen said the Russian leadership has “repeatedly declared that Russia is irreversibly linked with Europe”. The EU's energy dialogue with Moscow, she said, “must be based on trust and focus on issues where our interests coincide”. She felt that this is an “area where the interdependence of the EU and Russia could become the most apparent in a positive manner”.
President Borrell had greeted Ms Halonen by saying that a century after women had gained the right of vote in Finland, this country is the first of the European Union and has a woman as its head of State. He also paid tribute to Council President Erkki Tuomioja for his frankness and his courage that has contributed to the EU's determination in the Lebanese conflict. He recalled that the Finnish were also the first to raise the problem of European immigration policy at the Tampere summit during the previous presidency in 1991.